Luck of the Draw
by KatherineMP20
Summary: Carlos' new dog has become too much to handle. In an effort to make things right among band-mates, he tries to come up with the option that's best for everyone but it seems as though giving up his beloved pet is the only option. -Strong language!-
1. Chapter 1

_***AN* This is an alternate plot line of how my OC might have met Katie. The original idea I had isnt uploaded yet. "Opportunities" was a real nice story but its just my OC's backstory and her rise to fame. The original meeting has to do with something they may or may not have remembered. I'll upload it as soon as it is written however I have a few other stories in line after this.***_

"Carlos! Control your dog!" James yelled from his bunk. It was touring time again but this time Carlos and James decided to bring their dogs. Carlos had 2 dogs at home already but adopted a 3rd, a large Doberman named Bullet. He was a super friendly dog and loved to cuddle and get attention but he had personal space issues. He never knew when to leave people alone, or just sit still and be quiet. Bullet was full of energy too and would often play with James' dog, a miniature schnauzer, Pepper, but because of the size difference, it wasn't hard for Bullet to play too rough and cause a yelp from Pepper.

James would get mad at Bullet and a little frustrated at Carlos. Bullet was way more than anyone could handle and it was just too much work to keep up with him and care for him while on tour. James wasn't prepared for this. Carlos brought Bullet with him not only because Bullet was the newest edition but because Bullet was actually his dog. The other two dogs were his family's dogs which were back home in Minnesota.

"Carlos!" James yelled again. Bullet was climbing into James bunk, looking for attention but James wanted no part of it, he just wanted to take a nap. Carlos wasn't on the bus to hear James call and out of frustration he just shoved Bullet down, making him land on the floor with a thud. He jumped out after him and dragged Bullet to the back room, locking him inside. Bullet barked a few times but quickly quieted down and James got some Z's. He was woken up seemingly a few minutes later, although it was actually just over an hour, to Kendall yelling profanities.

"What the fuck! Dammit Bullet! Carlos!" Kendall yelled. Logan's voice wasn't far behind.

"Carlos!" Logan called out. James threw the curtain on his bunk back to see the two of them coming by from the back room.

"What's going on?" James asked

"Bullet destroyed the back room, there's literally nothing left!" Logan said

"The furniture is destroyed, all our electronics are chewed up, and he pissed all over the place." Kendall added

"I've had it with that dog. He's got to go." Logan continued. "Have you seen Carlos?"

"I saw him this morning but I don't know where he went." James replied.

"If you see him, tell him to do something about that dog. This is the last straw." Logan said.

"Got it." James said. He watched as they left the bus, Bullet following until the door slammed in his face, then he just sat there looking depressed. Out of curiosity, James jumped down to check the damage and the guys were right, it was a massacre. Pieces of fabric, foam, plastic, paper, and wood were scattered all over. Parts of the carpet were soaked and now discolored where Bullet had marked his territory. The furniture was scratched, chipped, ripped and broken. Bullet even managed to rip one of the doors off the cabinets trying to get to the snack shelf and he did succeed for some of it. All the food was gone that he could reach. He ate chocolate, fruit snacks, pretzels and even some of the wrappers. Bullet was going to get very sick after all this, he might not even make it but no one really cared about that right now. All their things were destroyed and they were pissed.

Carlos came back, after already hearing what Kendall and Logan had to say and clearly he was upset. When he saw the backroom he was devastated. He never thought his dog would do all that. He felt horrible for bringing Bullet along and causing everyone so much trouble. He feared his friendships with the guys were in jeopardy. They were too far from home to turn back and make it back to the next show date in time so he took one of the vans and went to the nearest pet store to buy a cage to keep Bullet in. He bought the biggest one they had, which was a bit much and tried to figure out a place for it. He cleaned up the back room as much as he could and found a corner to put it in.

Carlos tried to put Bullet in but he refused and even started to growl in resentment. Carlos undid the cage and when Bullet checked it out, he shut Bullet in and he turned into this vicious monster, catching Carlos off guard. The door was locked but Bullet was still rocking the cage like it was nothing as he tried to tear through it to get to Carlos. His calm demeanor was now full of blood lust. Carlos could feel his heart breaking, upset at himself for doing this to his dog in the first place and tried to undo the door but Bullet kept lashing out and he couldn't get close enough to the door to unlock it. He felt Bullet no longer trusted him anymore. He threw a blanket over the cage and quickly left, shutting the door and leaving the bus, hearing Bullet all the way outside.

Bullet eventually quieted down once he no longer heard anyone or anything and laid down in a ball and went to sleep. Carlos came back out to check on him and was happy that all was quiet, he went inside and called out to Bullet but he couldn't hear him moving. He removed the sheet and bent down to see if he was awake and as soon as Bullet opened his eyes he returned to his vicious cycle, tearing at the cage.

"Bullet! It's me! Stop it!" Carlos called out but Bullet didn't listen.

The cage was actually starting to fall apart from his force of aggression and Carlos feared for his life. He left the room and shut the door, trying to barricade it to stop him from coming out. He grabbed his laptop and ran off the bus and away from Bullet, not sure what to do. Is this temporary and he'll be his old lovable self soon or was he always going to act out like this? If so, was he going to be so uncontrollable that he'd need the local animal control to take him away? He loved Bullet very much but Carlos couldn't help but kick himself for causing all this trouble as the option to put Bullet to sleep stared him in the face.


	2. Chapter 2

After the show the guys boarded the bus and jumped straight into their bunks. It wasn't until they were just about ready to fall asleep that Bullet began his rampage again.

"What the hell is wrong with that dog!" Logan groaned putting a pillow over his head.

"I thought you fixed him up?" Kendall asked

"I tried but he's become uncontrollable now and I don't know what to do. I cant find anything online that will help." Carlos replied

"Well you better think of something, how are we supposed to get any sleep with him barking up a storm?" Logan asked

"You shouldn't have brought him, Carlos. You cant handle him." James said

"I for one have had enough of him. Either you ship him back home or just get rid of him." Kendall warned

"Shut the fuck up, Bullet!" James said, slamming a shoe against the door. It seemed to work and he quieted down. The other guys followed suit and slipped into a restful slumber until Bullet howled and started up again 2 hours later.

"That's it!" Logan yelled. "Bill, pull over!" he called to the driver.

"No!" Carlos pleaded.

"Carlos we need to sleep and we cant do it with him." James yelled

"You cant just ditch him on the highway!" Carlos fought back

"We weren't planning on it. I need quiet to hear my self think and I cant do it on this bus with your damn dog!" Logan continued. The bus lurched to a stop, throwing the guys off balance a little bit. Bullet too as he growled and was quiet for a little longer. The guys stepped off the bus, relief filling their ears as the quiet of the night soothed their ringing ears.

"A jet plane would be more soothing that Bullet." Kendall mumbled.

"Alright so what are we going to do?" Logan started.

"I just need more time, I don't know what's got into him but I can find out if I just have more time!" Carlos replied

"Carlos you cant even get near him without him going into attack mode!" James leveled

"It was one thing when he was just pushy for attention but now he's turned deadly. You're endangering us all by keeping him on the bus. That cage isn't going to hold him for much longer and neither will that door." Kendall said.

Carlos was at a loss and just sighed. The guys were right and time was running out, he just didn't want to see Bullet put down.

"What if I take him to the vet? Maybe he's just sick or hurt?"

"Fine. Take him to the vet tomorrow as soon as we get into town. If the vet says there is nothing wrong with him, then he is out of here." Logan said.  
"Same thing if there is something wrong with him but its not curable." James added.

Carlos agreed and they all boarded the bus again and tried to sleep although not soundly since Bullet kept them up half the night. As soon as they arrived in the town of their show, as promised, Carlos made an emergency appointment with the local vet. He called 3 different places before he found one who could take him. With a little help from Logan, they tied ropes around the cage and dragged it to the stairs. They used a piece of wood as a makeshift ramp and eased the cage down it. Bullet wasn't barking and more focused on trying not to fall. they loaded the cage onto Logan's skateboard and rolled him to the vet's door where he began making a scene again.

The staff were very unsure of this new dog, especially seeing the extreme precautions Logan and Carlos had taken to get the cage here. The senior doctor came out and managed to distract the dog long enough to open the cage door enough and then backed away. He pulled the door open and Bullet didn't even notice as he tried to attack the vet through the door. The vet backed away and locked bullet in a room and waited for him to quiet down. He came back with a control stick and muzzle and opened the door slowly to find Bullet chilling in the corner, chewing up a box of gauze he found on the counter.

Bullet wagged his tail and took a submissive and friendly position as he greeted the vet. The vet slipped the muzzle on Bullet any way and gave him a quick physical check feeling for swelling, lumps, cuts, bruising or heat. All was clear on Bullet so on to different tests. It would take a little bit, so Carlos left bullet at the vet and would get him later after or just before the show. After the show he stopped by to get his dog, ready to face the news of whatever was ailing his buddy.

"Hello Mr. Garcia! We checked over Bullet head to paw, inside and out and we are pleased to say that nothing is physically wrong with him. He is a little overweight so you might want to lay off the snacks. But other than that he's in perfect health!"  
"Then its settled. Put him down Carlos." James said from the door

"Put him down or give him up." Kendall said. "The choice is yours but he's not getting back on that bus."

Carlos stared at his friends in disbelief and hurt. The receptionist was also shocked at the sudden choice but couldn't think of anything to say, but it wasn't her place to do so. She watched Carlos and waited for his response. Carlos turned to the desk and then looked to the back room, where he could hear Bullet carrying on, just like before. A tear escaped his eye and he bowed his head, ready to answer with the only choice left.


	3. Chapter 3

"I cant do it guys, I just cant Do the tour without me then, because I don't want to give him up!" Carlos finally said.

"You don't have to give him up. Bullet isn't sick or injured; he just need training. A great deal of it." The vet said coming out of the back room. "Here's a business card to The Academy of Canine Science. It's a local animal school that you might find helpful. It offers many different services as well as majors. it's the biggest animal based college in the nation and I recommend it fully. I graduated from there as well as most of my staff. The head master is amazing and knowledgeable and the school has only gotten bigger. If anyone can fix your dog, it'd be them." he said handing Carlos a card. "I thought you all looked familiar, you are the guys of Big Time Rush right?"

"That's us." Kendall said.

"Thought so, my kids are big fans. Anyway, since your on tour, obviously you wont make it there right away, it is all the way in Connecticut. But they have advice on the website that you can get into for free, by using the specialized code on the back of the card. You can also get a private trainer if you can afford it."  
"Thanks so much!" Carlos said with a smile

"No problem. Bullet seems like a really nice, lovable guy, he just needs a firm hand. Good luck to you." the vet said.

"Thanks again!" Carlos said from the door, trying to hold Bullet back. The vet waved and the guys left. Bullet was quiet all night, back to his lovable self but still destructive. As evidenced by the ripped socks on the floor the next morning. It'd be a week before they were anywhere near ACS so Carlos kept Bullet in the local kennels for the day and picking him up at night and moving onto the next town. Carlos tweeted questions to ACS's twitter account and it took a day to get a response but the service was fantastic nonetheless.

It was a different person each time, sometimes switching back and forth so he had to repeat himself sometimes but he really needed more information. He didn't have much time to talk when he was able to log on so he had to make his conversation short and precise. He was forwarded to the one of the higher-ups' personal twitters where he had a more detailed discussion. The trainer he was talking to was a girl, she had been doing this for a while and was ranked just below the head master. She was very knowledgeable but still needed to see the dog in action. He made an appointment with her the morning he was in Connecticut.

The days dragged by as he waited for his appointment and finally it came. It was just after 6am when the bus arrived at the venue. While the guys slept in, he quickly and quietly took Bullet and loaded him into one of the extra cars and took off to the school. It was about an hour away and he arrived before the school was fully open. It was a big place, but neat, organized, and very professional looking. Much of the campus looked new and similar in style but a few buildings were clearly older although well kept.

He quickly found the main building which he was told to go to and found it lit up already and a girl was at the desk just inside, working hard and running around the office space. He didn't expect the doors to be open but he tested them anyway and continued inside, finding them unlocked. The girl heard him come in and was surprised to hear someone this early.

"Oh, hello. What can I do for you?"

"I'm a little early but I had an appointment with someone."

"Oh…let me check. What's you name?"

"Carlos Garcia." he replied. The girl stopped for a second and glanced at him again real quick before continuing. "Yes, I have you in here. You are early for sure. You have an appointment with Katie and she's running late this morning. Your welcome to have a seat or take a look around if you'd like. We can put your dog in the kennel while you wait, he appears to be a handful."

"He is. Thanks." he replied

"Follow me she said going down a long hallway and exiting into the side yard. This was the old kennel before the newer, bigger one was built. It was definitely older but still maintained although it looked as though most of the pens hadn't been used in quite some time. The secretary opened the pen and Carlos pushed Bullet inside and he quickly took the gate from the girl and pushed her back just in time for Bullet to see the gate close and he went back to his rampaging self.  
"That's why we're here." he said calmly. "He hasn't been himself and he's destroying everything, I tried giving him exercise, toys and so much more but nothing worked."

"Don't worry, you came to the right place. Katie is good, she cant work miracles but she has turned some pretty pushy dogs around to a point where they are manageable." she said with a smile, leaving for the main building. "I have some more work to do before school starts up. Classes start at 8:30 so stay clear of the classrooms. Katie should be here, around 10 if you'd like to go somewhere else for a bit, maybe get some breakfast or something."

""Oh yeah, that sounds nice. Where's the closest restaurant?"

"Here, have a voucher instead, you can get something to eat at the cafeteria. Then you can do some sight seeing." she said handing him a café coupon."

"Thanks!" he said with a smile. She pointed him to the café and off he went.


	4. Chapter 4

_***AN*** _Dialogue Key: **BOLD**- Carlos._ ITALICS_- OC.

Carlos ate a hearty breakfast, the food was amazing and so was the cafeteria. It was an all you can eat style café with many different options including a chef who would make anything on the menu any way you wanted. There were vegetarian, vegan and salt/gluten/fat free entrée's as well as regular food. After he was satisfied he took a walk and still had time to kill so he took his car and drove off to check out a little shop he saw on his way up. He got sidetracked and it was after 10 when he looked at his watch. He had his hands full of stuff he wanted to buy but the line was too long to wait, he put it all on a short term hold and would pick it up later.

Katie was still settling in and she took a visit to the kennel to see this dog her receptionist told her about. She was a bit scared walking up to the cage, the doors were old and this dog was definitely aggressive and very strong. She knew certain precautions would have to be taken. She was paged from the kennel to her office, as her client had arrived. She was very interested in meeting him but she wasn't prepared to be face to face with ¼th of her favorite band, Big Time Rush.

She tried to play it cool and remain professional, she didn't want to scare him off or think she wouldn't be able to do her job but inside she was freaking out. She took out all the paperwork and began asking questions and putting in her own observations, suggestions and other input. Carlos was professional himself and very calm, taking in everything she had to say.

She found it kind of surprising, usually he was very talkative in conversations, almost to a boasting point but not this time. He was compliant and calm, asking all sorts of questions. He was clearly worried about his pet and wanted the best for him. After about 40 minutes in her office it was time for the physical test and she gathered all her equipment and another high level trainer, Liam, one of her best friends, to assist her.

He opened the gate and Katie snagged Bullet in seconds and dragged him out. He growled and resisted but soon calmed down, turning friendly again. Katie put him back in, locking the door to find him going nuts again. She diagnosed him with cage aggression which with some dogs could be easy, while others made it hard. It was a common problem and could be fear based or dominance based and with Bullet it was hard to tell. She took him back out and walked him with her as she discussed with Carlos some other problems, telling him to focus on her and not Bullet.

Bullet didn't like the control stick at all, he liked to be close or go where he wanted to and this was stopping him from doing either of those. Despite his strength and speed she kept a firm grip on him, focused on the conversation she was having, only occasionally looking down to make sure Bullet was not in danger. Liam stayed behind, monitoring the situation and Bullet.

**"Wow, you're really good at this.**" he complimented.

"_Thank you. I've been doing this for a while. About 10 years actually. I started young but only because I come from a line of dog trainers in my family. I out rank most of them. I enjoy doing this, putting skills to work and seeing animals and people happy. Spreading the animal love."_ she smiled.

"**I know it takes a lot of patience."**

_"Yes it does. I've trained most of the dogs here and when you're training more than 1 at a time it can get tough. But it helps when you have an older dog as an example, then the young ones learn quickly through imitation."_

**"Would that work for Bullet?"**

_"It might but because he is already 4, he is out of the puppy stages so he's more likely not to learn by example. Some dogs still like to imitate though. Doberman's are very intelligent but they can be stubborn when learning. They prefer to lead the crowd rather than follow and they aren't eager to please. Dobies really are best under an experienced owner. But don't let that dishearten you at all, all you need is to learn how to have a firm hand when dealing with them."_

**"How can I learn that?"**

_"Well, usually I have clients take classes but since you have a busy schedule you can try reading some of the books I recommend to students as textbooks here. There are so many techniques and there isn't a quick fix or a one size fits all trick, each dog is different which is why we have different techniques."_

"**What about those shows on Planet Animal? Which one of those people is best? I can watch those in my spare time**."

"_Like I said, numerous techniques. In certain ways, all of those trainers are right. The problem with them is that they often contradict each other and stick by one tip to change behaviors. You arent going to get results right away but if something clearly isn't working, change it to something else."_

"**Ok, great. At least now I have a start. Its just been really frustrating lately."**

_"I can only imagine, being on that small bus all day and you have to deal with this crazy guy._" she said.

"**How did you know…**?" he asked curiously

"Oh please, this girl is the biggest fan of you guys. When your albums came out, it was the only thing playing in the arena's for weeks. It drove me nuts! The songs are catchy and danceable don't get me wrong, its just this girl is crazy." Liam teased, grinning ear to ear.

"Liam!" Katie called out in embarrassment.

"I didn't know you were a fan. That's alright I appreciate it. At least now I know my dog is in good hands. Actually, would you be able to keep and train Bullet here? He'll be safe, and well cared for here, I can tell and he'll get all the training he needs while I read up on training skills. That way the other guys wont want to kill me either, you should see what Bullet did to the bus…it's horrible." he sighed.

"Sure, I can keep him here. I'd be honored to have him stay with us. Don't worry he will get the best care available however any vet charges will be your responsibility." she agreed

"Deal!" he said, putting out a hand. Katie shook and she gave Liam, Bullet to put away while she took Carlos back to her office to fill out all the paperwork.

They got well acquainted while they were in there, and Carlos even obliged to some pictures and an autograph. Carlos left her his contact information as well as giving him hers. They hit it off not only in a business relationship but also as friends, they had a lot in common and had a lot of laughs. Carlos asked if she was coming to the concert tonight but she declined, she was unable to get tickets since the concert sold out so fast. He made a few calls and got her all access passes to the show, she would be hanging out with them in the dressing rooms and have the best seat in the house right on the side stage. She couldn't believe her ears and couldn't help but give him the biggest hug as she screamed with joy and thanks.


	5. Chapter 5

The concert went on without a hitch and she was super excited watching them sing and dance from the sidelines. All the guys were very nice and welcoming, thanking her for getting Bullet out of their hair, they were grateful and looking forward to a good nights sleep. She got to meet James' dog Pepper who was well behaved except for being vocal quite often. The guys asked her questions about dog training and herself, very interested in her line of work since she wasn't just a dog trainer but a canine science teacher for all dog arts from basic care to grooming, to breed identification and psychology she knew it all and still learning.

To her surprise she was one of the 4 girls chosen to be the world wide girl, Carlos pulled her off the side stage and introduced her real quick and she received a round of applause. She took a seat between Carlos and Logan as they all began serenading their girls. They switched up to give all the girls a chance to be with each of them throughout the song. Katie couldn't stop smiling and blushing; this day was fantastic so far She rocked in her seat and lip-synced the words to her self as she enjoyed being with fellow rushers as well as her new found pop star friends.

Logan saw her singing along and enticed her to sing louder, sharing his mic with her. James heard her singing through his in ear monitor and looked over and smiled. When the song was over he gave her a pat on the back and told her great job. A round of applause was heard throughout, for all of them and after a few more minutes on stage getting hugs and even a few kisses from the guys, the girls were escorted to the stairs by the guys and then taken and helped down by security. Katie returned to the side stage, receiving high fives from the stage hands.

After a great concert, she was invited back to the dressing room to chill out with the guys for a little while as the crew cleaned up and the guys unwind. She was alone for the first 10 minutes as different crew members came in and out as well as the musicians for the band. When the guys finally came back, they were in their regular street clothes, looking completely refreshed and offered her food and beverages, treating her like a queen. She accepted some water but met Logan half way, showing that there was no need to wait on her.

"How did you like the concert?" Carlos asked

"I loved it! Thank you so much for inviting me, I cant believe you would do that for me." she smiled

"Hey you saved us from Bullet." Kendall said

"Don't get us wrong, we like him and everything but he is such a pain in the ass." James added

"Totally. We need a little break from him but no doubt when he does return, he'll be a brand new dog, something we can all stand and enjoy." Kendall continued.

"Logan, you've been quiet." James nudged him.

"Oh…yeah, sorry. I was thinking about something."

"Ohhh? About what?" Kendall teased

"Nothing like that, its just, Katie, you seem very familiar." Logan replied

"I do?" she questioned

"Yeah, you know, now that he mentions it, something about you does seem familiar. Are you sure you've never been to our shows before?" he asked  
"Positive. Never met you guys before today." she replied.

"I guess I'm just tired. Cant wait to get a full nights sleep." he said stretching out.

They hung out for a little while and soon it was time to go. Katie got to ride their tour bus back to ACS to go home from their but not before she took more pictures of the guys as well as getting a full tour of their bus. She smiled and thanked them for their time and generosity, welcoming them back to her school at any time. James escorted her to the front door to make sure she got in ok before jumping back on the bus and waving from the window. She waved back to him and then to the others who were at the other windows and watched the bus pull out of sight down the long driveway.

Back on the bus, which was just reaching the boarder of CT, all the bus was quiet as the guys slept. Except for Carlos who was typing away at his computer. Logan's statement earlier about Katie looking familiar, had him thinking as well so he tried to find out why. He didn't come up with much and putting in her name only got results about ACS and how she was the youngest prodigy dog trainer and other stuff like that. He thought that maybe that was why she looked familiar, because she was part of the biggest and most well known school of animal science and he left it at that. He powered down his computer and tucked it into the slot just below his bunk and got himself some sleep.

It was late by the time Katie had gotten home and her parents were waiting up for her. She had the pictures to prove she was late but she still got an ear full even though she had told her parents she would be late. She was 21 and a successful career woman, who was also in college studying 3 additional majors and yet none of that seemed to matter. She often suffered depression and anxiety at home due to the love-hate relationship she had but managed to overcome it sometimes or at least just stick with life for whatever reason. She felt as bad as her life might have gotten at times, there was always someone out there worse off than her. Plus she had nothing else t do or anywhere to go really and didn't want to just give up, her parents were all she had and she wasn't about to turn her back on them.

The next morning she was about to go to work but was stopped by her mother who told her that her father didn't want her leaving. That's right she was grounded.

"What the hell? He wanted me to have a job and here I am making money and he still controls me? No way, I'm out. I've broken groundings before and I'll do it again. I'm 21 years old, legally an adult and you have no say. I'm tired of pleasing everyone. I don't do drugs nor am I a criminal and you people act like its not enough." she said before leaving.

She got in trouble later and tried to fight back but lost. She had no say but she also had no where to go so she just took the abuse. She was trapped with no way out, but even if there was one, she was too afraid to leave.

She got to work and stayed busy as she filled out a lot of paperwork, created new schedules, looked at books and did other basic duties before teaching a few classes later in the evening. She hadn't started Bullet's training yet, she would wait about a week so he could adjust to his new home and get a feel for his personality and temperament. He really was a sweet heart, just pushy and dominant so he'd be an easy case for her, she just worried about Carlos, could he really handle this dog's continued training that he would need? She knew he was a kind and intelligent guy so he'd do the best he could and if he really couldn't handle it, he'd know when to call it quits.

Carlos had some downtime and looked over the pile of papers he had gotten from Katie yesterday. His boarding/vet agreement, her info, books to read and so much more. He wondered about Bullet but figured he was doing alright, he was a very easy going guy and loved new people and places. Plus he was in good hands, all the dogs at the school were in great shape, glossy eyes, shining coats and full of life. He imagined what Bullet would be like after a couple months with Katie and at the same time he was saddened that he'd be without Bullet for so long. He was tempted to call Katie to check in on Bullet but also to talk with his new friend. The guys seemed to like Katie as well and he could tell they would become good friends if given the chance. For right now, they were just so busy on tour, that they could only talk via internet.

Carlos was deep in thought about Bullet, Katie and so may other things as he read through some of the 10s of pages he had on his lap before he was called for sound check. He plopped the papers on the table noting where he left off and caught up with the others. sound check was only 45 minutes but they still had to give their all, just as if they were performing for real and it was always a workout, but that was why it was done so early in the day, so they can rest all afternoon. Carlos returned to his pile of papers and looked online to find a few books he might be able to find.

Soon he got sidetracked though and browsed through some of his favorite sites, checking twitter and all that. He stumbled upon you tube, where he watched some funny cat videos as well as people doing stupid things before coming across a familiar video in his recommendations. It was one of his favorites, a short skit by an mildly popular amateur production group. He'd watched it probably close to 100 times and it never failed to make him laugh. He had a lot of videos saved in his favorites by this channel and was even subscribed but the channel had been inactive for quite some time now although the user still logged in often to favorite and watch other videos.

He watched the skit, a school survival guide type skit that always had all kinds of jokes ranging from something simple as slapstick to higher grade comedy. The videos were well put together and edited despite not having a high grade camera. The characters were always funny and delivered their lines well, most of the time it all seemed so real like it was happening right in front of him rather than being scripted. Other videos sometimes got serious and ended with a moral or some other kind of enlightenment and those were really cool to. There were a few videos on the channel out of the 100's posted that were actually covers of other songs both in song and dance or a mixture of both. They were well choreographed and thought out and he thought the songs were alright even though it wasn't his type of music, the singer was pretty good at it.

James came in after a while and once he got settled, took a seat next to carlos and peeked at what he was watching. It had been a while since Carlos watched the channel and only him and Logan saw the channel.

"Ever heard of Deleted By Society Productions, on you tube?"

"No. I'm not into the you tube thing. I've seen a few funny videos of people doing stupid shit but that's about it." James replied

"Oh. I've been into this channel for a while but its been months since anything was uploaded. They never fail to put a smile on my face with their skits. The songs arent that bad and neither is the dancing." Carlos responded

"Let me see?" James asked leaning forward. Carlos turned his laptop towards James and leaned in closer so he could finish watching the video. "What kind of music is this..? Sounds like something Logan would listen to a couple years ago."

"It's called, um, Liars and Monsters by Escape the Fate. There are some slower songs but nothing in rap or R&B. Its mostly punk, alternative and rock music, but it isn't bad as far as the singing goes." Carlos replied

"You're right about that. Those girls can dance too…I like it!" He smiled. "Let me get my computer I want to know more about this group. Do they have a website?"

"They used to, I don't see the link on their channel but maybe there is something on tumblr or twitter." Carlos suggested

"Ok, I'll check around." he said pulling his computer off his bunk. He sat back down next to Carlos and began his own search.

Kendall came in shortly and saw the two hard at work.

"What are you guys doing? You look so serious…" He questioned.

"Dude, check this out!" James called out to both.

He flipped his screen around to reveal the remnants of what used to be the channel's website that linked back to a blog that kept everything. The site was gone, most likely expired but the blog was still around although it hadn't been updated in quite some time. It was clear this group was indeed pretty popular but so were many other you tubers and despite their internet fame, real life celebrities and you tube celebrities almost never met; even rarer for them to cross paths. Celebrities may have their own channels or watch video of themselves if they are that vain but even if thy had the time, they didn't spend it searching for good videos to watch on you tube. Kendall leaned on the table and looked at the screen and Carlos looked over as well.

"Cast and crew of Deleted By Society Productions: Director/Creator/Founder/Choreographer: Katie Pryszweic. Katie was born in 1990 in Connecticut. She enjoys living life to the fullest and hanging out with friends. Many of her skits come from activities or events in her day to day life. Although well rehearsed and talented in theater and the arts such as singing, dancing, and acting, animals are her biggest passion, as she is a big animal lover." Kendall read. "Is that her?" he asked pointing to a picture just beside the bio. It was an action shot and hard to tell but there was another gallery full of pics most of them action shots in the beginning. Other pictures included behind the scenes stuff like her designing wardrobes, putting on make-up for the others and herself as well as being hard at work with her friends discussing the next project. Her other pictures were of her in costume but it finally clicked with the others who they were looking at, even though they had already read the name.

"Holy shit!" Kendall exclaimed.

"She's famous! Even more famous than just her talents as a dog teacher." Carlos added.

"Why didn't she tell us?" Kendall added

"Maybe she gave it up and doesn't want to think about it anymore." James reasoned

"But she's amazingly talented!" Carlos replied

"She's probably not interested in it anymore, in her bio it said animals were her passion and she's good at it." Kendall continued

"Dude, she probably didn't have the same luck or resources as us to get famous. She obviously does have a large following and fan base online but sometimes it isn't enough." James added

"Besides, all of her songs are fast and even the slow songs are full of guitar. You know as well as the rest of us that today's music has no use for that kind of music, as sad as that is. Pop and dance music wouldn't exist without rock but what can you do?" Kendall stated

"We can let our fans and the rest of the world decide. We have a huge following, surely if we create a poll and express our interest, she'll gain traction in the world of music and be discovered." Carlos said

"You cant just create a poll and make her famous if she doesn't want to be. She's a brand new friend, why would you try to betray her trust already? She's doing you a huge favor by training your dog for you, don't mess it up." James said sternly.

Carlos didn't want to let this go but he obviously wasn't going to win this argument and just let it go. He wanted to know the reason and as soon as he was able to sit down alone, he would call Katie and find out from her, what was going on and why she gave it up.


	6. Chapter 6

_***AN*** ITALICS- KATIE, _**BOLD_= CARLOS  
_**

_"What? I never quit DBS per say, more like got to busy for it. I'm always forming ideas and such its just the task about getting everyone together. We did all those videos in middle school and high school, now that we have graduated its difficult to get together as often to learn lines and routines. I have simple ones as well but its still just finding the time or a place. Even I have trouble finding time in college and with work, how can I edit videos? I've made a few Q&A videos, deleted scene vids and more to keep it active plus we all open mail and talk to viewers so we are very much alive still."_ Katie explained with a smile.

**"Why didn't you tell us? I mean Logan said you looked familiar and we just couldn't place you."**

_"I wasn't really thinking clearly, I mean I was hanging out with celebrities, would you be able to think straight if your star idol was around?_: she chuckled.

**"You have a point. Would you ever want to get back into it?"**

_"Sure. I had fun doing all that stuff with my friends and it got me outside and active unlike now. I may run around for classes, but I'm not getting nearly as much exercise as I used to and my diet is pretty bad too. I've gained weight for sure, and I'm just not as strong or fit a I used to be. Like I said, its just a matter of finding a time and place to get together. Plus, those were happier times than right now, how I miss those days. "_

_**"**_**What if we helped you?"**

_"What do you mean?_"

**"I'm not promising miracles or anything but what if we found a way to get you back up and running? You're a talented singer and actor and it'd be a shame to let that go to waste. I'm serious, and I mean it, I'm going to help you. I'll do all I can and the guys will help to, I'm sure of it. Just think about it and let me know what you think. You don't have to say yes and you don't have to answer right now. Just think about it is all I ask. I got to go for now though, I'll talk to you later.**" he said hanging up the phone.

Katie sat in silence holding the receiver a little dazed from his proposition. It'd be nice to get away from everything and even nicer to be famous, and be recognized for once but was she ready to take the risk?

She didn't have much to risk as far as financially, although she ran the school, she didn't own it and it would run fine without her for months as she demonstrated when she left for school during the year. But what about the risk to her image? For all she knew if she got to Hollywood, she could become this big rock star or pop star but she wouldn't be her. She didn't want to really stand out from the crowd, she got enough of that here. She wanted to be noticed but not for something flamboyant, crazy, or stupid. And what would happen if she failed? Could her self esteem really take being called a failure and useless more than she already was getting now?

Carlos got to work creating a bio page for Katie and making sure everything was worded perfectly. He hoped the poll and the petition would go over well and get a big response regardless of whether it was positive or negative, of course he hoped is was positive. Logan came in and saw him hard at work and when he saw Katie's picture he recognized her right away as the lead girl in the videos Carlos showed him a while back. Logan was behind him and asked if he could help in any way.

Kendall and James got involved in the project as well once they learned she was into it. The poll wouldn't take long to create or get everyone to mark their opinion. To be fair it was going to require the use of face book, twitter or tumblr so people would only be able to vote once per account. It would stay open for about a month, enough time to contact Gustavo, Griffin, another label or maybe, if it had to come down to it although they really hoped it didn't, even Hawk and get someone to sign her either by persuasion or by the numbers. They had it all planned out and all they could do now was wait.

Soon the month had passed although to Katie nothing had changed. She had barely heard from Carlos or any of the guys since Carlos had called her with his 'news' she thought about it a little bit but never came up with an answer and eventually it was pushed to the back of her mind. She had made a lot of progress with Bullet in the mean time. He was no longer cage aggressive and would sleep quietly in a cage at any time of day. His pushy behavior was really just a personality trait of his and it would be hard to stop however his dominance was nearly erased. He was turning into the perfect companion although he really wasn't suitable for tour life. The bus was too small and there just wasn't enough time in the day for Carlos to be able to give him the walks he needed in upwards of an hour. She made notes and other instructions as she found things and kept track of what she already did and Carlos would be getting a full copy of his register which was getting longer by the day.

She was busy with classes for most of the day as finals were getting closer. Back to back she taught classes with only 10 minutes between that she used to rearrange the arena or class room depending on what the class was. For whatever reason, the classes weren't scheduled in order from difficulty or category. She'd teach an agility course in the arena then have to run to the class room to teach breed identification and back to the arena for showmanship. In the midst of her running around she left her phone in her office so when someone tried to reach her, she was interrupted in the arena, which was only allowed for an emergency so her heart was racing as thoughts ran through thinking what was wrong.

"Hello!" she said

"Katie! Oh my god, I'm glad I got a hold of you, listen I'm really sorry I'm interrupting your class session but this really is an emergency!" Carlos' voice rang out on the other end

"Carlos? What's going on?" she asked getting her breath back

"We had a poll a while back and our record producer agreed to sign you! You got a bunch of positive feedback and you're taking Hollywood by storm as the newest pop sensation and you arent even here yet! You wouldn't believe the magazines, TV, and internet is blowing up with your videos, havent you been online?" he explained

"I havent, I've been too busy with work and school. Finals here at ACS are within the next few weeks and then I start school in September. I thought you were going to fill me in on the details and get my answer? I thought about it but I couldn't come to a conclusion. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I'm glad I have this and all but I'm risking my reputation here. I don't know what to do, I need more time not only to think but even if I did accept this offer, I cant leave now. You understand right?" she replied

"Absolutely. There is more work to be done on our end anyway regardless if you sign or not, in fact you have to make a demo first before you sign. We'll work out the kinks and if he has too, our producer will buy you out of your school contract." Carlos said

"Well that's one thing off my mind, thanks Carlos!" she replied with a smile

"No problem! Talk to you soon!" he said, hanging up.

She really wasn't sure what to make of all this, it'd be an exciting opportunity but was she ready for this? She had enough enemies out there to make her fall, rumors spread like wildfire even with proof contradicting the lies, what was to say it wouldn't happen again, even with all the journalists and info out there? She was quiet the rest of the day, not focusing on teaching, more or less just being in a slump or out of sorts. Her students worried and rather than explaining herself she sent them on her way, she really didn't want to think about this anymore and it was going to stop anytime soon. She gave out extra homework to make up for it, giving an extended deadline as well. She made her way to her office and tried to make sense of things but ultimately sat in a slump for a few hours doing nothing productive or anything in particular. She kept finding herself daydreaming about her possible future but also thought about the negatives. She was scared of her future, she was scared of change. She was in a nice spot right now and if she could go forward with this whole pop star thing and come back to ACS like nothing happened then she wouldn't give it a second thought.

Soon enough it was time to head home, she was quiet walking in the door, parents pretty much ignoring her for the newest episode of their favorite show. They had a DVR so they could pause it and acknowledge her existence but they preferred to shut her up and tell her she was making too much noise by blasting the TV. Katie was the only one who used the DVR for anything but she got yelled at for that too. She went upstairs to chill out but soon after their show was over she was called rude and selfish for not saying hi when she came home.

"Did you not just shut me up and blast the TV when I walked in? Don't try to freaking deny it Damnit!" she immediately yelled.

"I couldn't hear it, you were making too much noise!" her mom said.

"I was coming home! I made the same amount of noise as always, and greeted you like you wanted only to be told I was making too much noise. Don't try to pin this on me! You're the one who is being a damn hypocrite!" she yelled back. Her mom left and Katie just sat in her room, mad as could be at what was normal in her house. Double standards, hypocrite statements and actions and just verbal abuse. There was no way she could tell anyone, who would believe her? There was no case without physical proof.

She was in a bad mood so she loaded up one of her favorite play lists from all sorts of artists. The songs really related to her life and her emotions and she always felt better after listening to them, knowing she wasn't the only one dealing with these frustrations or the pain. She really got into it and started singing along. With her headphones in she didn't hear her parents making noise at the bottom of the stairs, listening in. For whatever reason, they liked to listen to her sing. She had been put in school plays, most of which were against her will, and sang and dance in them. She never had fun doing all the work and was only happy when the damn thing was over but her parents took it as fun and made her do more plays. Katie had since graduated kids songs and songs about Christmas miracles to today's music.

The lyrics were deep, meaningful and downright amazing. She tried not to sing swears if she could help it, except when she was recording or singing alone. She had often listened to herself singing and thought it was alright but when she played back a recording she thought her ears would bleed. She tried using filters and all sorts of other magic but she gave up and posted near raw recordings, trying her best to just grin and bear it but to her surprise many people liked it and encouraged her to continue which is how the channel began to grow.

She finished her song on a good note and felt better and took a break, doing something else to pass the time before calling it a night. Her dad came up later and told her it was nice, as he often did. She really didn't like hearing it just because she thought she sounded awfully. It was embarrassing and she felt patronized by his words, that he was saying it just to be nice. It was one of her trust issues, she had been hurt so many times that it was difficult to believe anyone anymore.

"So if I was offered the chance to be a famous singer, what would you say?" she asked trying to sound like it was just a random 'what-if' question

"Why no? You sing good. But school first."

"You know, school can wait or I could do it at the same time. Stardom isn't going to wait for me to finish school. I'd have to take it when I got the chance otherwise it'll pass me by. That's how show business works, there is always someone else to take your place. Whether or not they are just as good, better or worse is up for debate but Hollywood waits for no one." she lectured. She was beginning to sound defensive so she backed off with a smile and joked around trying to get him to see her side and play along but not raise the alarm. She eventually went back to her room and she fell asleep, content with the day so far. She wondered what life would be like in all aspects of her current life if she did become a super star. Who would she make friends with? Would she lose the friends she had? What would her parents really think?

Her phone rang early the next morning and she was to tired to be bothered so she shut it off, rolled back over and went back to sleep. She woke up a few hours later and turned on her phone to check the number that had called her before. As the phone warmed up she received a few texts from unknown numbers who turned out to be Carlos and James. They needed to talk to her ASAP and she called them back. Before she could say hello or ask what was up Carlos greeted her with relief in his voice and excitement hearing Kendall in the background.  
"Whoa, Whoa, Whoa! Slow down! What on earth are you talking about?"

"Our producer's boss, the CEO of the place that owns Roque Records saw your you tube channel and he's pleased with everything he saw! He also said there was no need to make a demo since the comments and feedback are mostly positive. The poll we took was enough to win him over with ease as well. Short story is you're going to be a star! He wants to meet you as soon as possible. The only thing is, you havent answered if you want this or not, so…?" Carlos trailed off. There was silence on Katie's end as her confusion turned to excitement and then faded. What was her answer? Even she didn't know yet. "Katie?"

"Sorry, I was thinking. I don't know what my answer is. I was playing around with the idea and I figured I have nothing to lose but even still, I'm afraid."

"Don't be, we'll be here every step of the way." Kendall assured.

"I like singing and dancing and just being creative but I love my animals, my job. It'll do fine with out me as I test out this new chapter of my life but I still cant help but wonder what would happen to my old life that I leave behind. My parents like it when I sing but only on their terms, I want to do this, to prove myself to this world but I'm just so afraid to take that first step forward. I've never had anyone to lean on in my entire life and this is just such a big change. I don't want to fall flat on my face before I get anywhere." she said.

"You can do this. Don't think of being alone, you wont be, you'll have us right by your side. We believe in you, your parents will be there too, every step of the way, even if you don't feel it or they cant be physically there, they will be there in spirit. You can lean on us as long as it takes before you're sure you can stand on your own 2 feet." Kendall said. Carlos agreed. They heard Katie sigh on the other end of the line.

"Alright then. I'll do it…" she began softly. "I'll do it!"


	7. Chapter 7

A few days later she was packed and ready to go. Staff at ACS were ready to handle everything while their boss was gone. They threw a farewell party for her, even though she said she'd be back. She wasn't quitting ACS and would check in occasionally from afar but would be back every few months to run things and bring it back up to speed, just like she did when she had school, except the breaks would be shorter and the absences would be longer. She didn't tell many people where or why she was leaving but she assured them everything was fine. Liam, Aaron, Sam and Heather, her closest friends knew though but promised to keep it under wraps. If all went well, eventually she would make headlines anyway.

Back at home, the time came to take off. Her parents drove her to the airport, saddened their little girl was leaving, but proud and totally willing to let her have this. She brought a lot of stuff with her, but at the same time not enough. She left her beloved pets behind, unable to take them with her but she did take some other personal items. Sharing the backseat, was Carlos' dog Bullet. He was a happy, rehabilitated and well behaved dog now. He wasn't quite perfect and he still had some quirks but he'd be the perfect bus mate for everyone now.

Carlos went through all this trouble for her and she was going to surprise him with his best doggy pal. James would be the first to know though, he was meeting her at the CT airport to ride over with her, just some company on the long trip to California. The guys were coming back from a quick promotional tour in Germany and James took a different plane to meet her in her hometown. The others would be waiting in Cali.

The flight was long and the time zones made it longer, she slept a good portion of the way, waking up 2 hours before they landed to find James asleep next to her. He was sitting up but his head lay peacefully to the side, his arms were crossed and legs apart. He was so cute as he slept, she couldn't help but snap a couple pics. She was still star struck to be perfectly honest but she tried super hard not to tick them off and at the same time try to fit in.

She pulled out her computer to do some work, typing up a story to go along with her adventures so far, like a diary for herself. When she finished she checked her email and face book before uploading the pictures she snapped of James moments ago. She was quiet but couldn't help to smile at the pictures she took as she saved them to a pass word protected area of her computer.

"He's a good looking guy." she heard James say sleepily. She looked to him, completely embarrassed and scared that she was in so much trouble. "Relax, I'm not mad. I'm used to all sorts of pictures floating around. Besides, you got my good side." he smiled, half asleep.

He his head bobbed back over to the window before Katie could respond. He was still smiling but it faded quickly as he fell back asleep. The plane soon landed and Katie gently nudged him awake. It took a little bit but she didn't want to hit or shove him. He stretched and was a little grumpy and groggy but he grabbed his bag and left the plane, Katie right behind him.

In the airport terminal he began to wake up and was more friendly, apologizing for his grumpy self. Katie had never flown before at all so she had no idea how an airport worked. James showed her the ropes by doing everything and luckily their bags didn't get lost. She grabbed her luggage off the baggage carousel, the one thing she did know and then headed to large baggage and live animal claim to pick up Bullet who was rather agitated on his way out of the chute but soon calmed himself seeing the familiar faces. It wasn't long, as they started wheeling all their belongings out, when 3 familiar goof balls started to create an uproar as they ran through the terminal, running late due to traffic.

"Katie!" Carlos yelled as he tackled her. Laden with baggage she and him both crashed to the floor with a thud.

"Ow!" she moaned. Carlos quickly got off her and helped her to her feet, Logan helping out.

"Carlos, man, be careful!" he chastised but in a friendly way

"I'm so sorry Katie! I'm just so glad you're here. Are you alright?!"

"I think so, I hit my arm on the cage on the way down but I'm fine."

"Cage?" Carlos said curiously.

"Stay quiet about it, don't get excited or worked up." she warned before pulling back the blanket covering Bullet's cage.

Bullet was laying down peacefully, well aware of his surroundings and lifted his head to see what was going on. He wagged his tail lightly at the sight of Katie and turned to see Carlos and Bullet got up to a sitting position. Carlos knelt down to the cage and put his hand up to the bars and Bullet licked him furiously. Carlos was so happy to see his dog but as Katie instructed he made it short and sweet. The guys helped Katie load up her things into the car before driving to Kendall's place, where she would be staying.

At Kendall's house, Katie let Bullet out where he played gently with Kendall's pets and James' dog Pepper. The guy's were amazed at Bullet's transformation in such a short amount of time. It had been just over a month and yet, despite Bullet's long list of behavior problems, he was like a brand new dog. Katie gave all the guys a quick over view of how to act and handle Bullet or any dog they might come across.

"Bullet's training needs to be continued. He's learned all he needs to know but it's up to you to see it through. He will revert back to his original behaviors if you don't stay consistent and firm. He's not going to do what he is supposed to if you don't make him do it or praise him for doing it." she explained. Carlos got the full lesson later on as she explained her notes and instructions. She watched him practice handling and being around Bullet and corrected any problem areas but he picked it up quickly.

"I cant wait to take Bullet on the road again. I can take him right?" he asked.

"Sure. I suggest keeping him in a cage at night or when you cant be around For a few more weeks or months. He's not going to mind being in the cage at all, most dogs actually like to have a quiet space all their own. Just be sure to often invade his space otherwise he will be come dominant over it and we don't want that." she explained.

With the lessons done and Bullet safe and sound and Katie's things inside her knew room ready to be unpacked it was time to leave. Katie assumed that she'd have the rest of the day to herself, just coming off a plane and all but nope, she had other things to do as Kendall, James and Logan brought her to Roque Records to get right into discussions with Griffin and Gustavo. Carlos went home to drop off Bullet and would meet up with them later.

The guys were going to be her support and also kind of like her lawyers. Katie knew quite a bit about law but the guys had been in the entertainment business for a while now and knew what to ask for. Katie had a few things she'd like to add but she didn't want to sound greedy so she waited to see what she would be offered and then ask for what she wanted and see where it went. Gustavo didn't want the guys and Katie in the building together for several reasons, for starters he was concerned about distractions and 2nd he was only 1 person and wouldn't be able to devote time to the 2 artists at once.

Although they wouldn't see each other when working, they could spend all the time in the world together on their days off which was 1-2 days per week depending on deadlines when not touring. When touring, their free time were days when a show or media interview was not scheduled. Katie was granted extended vacations twice a year to check in on things back home, however transportation would not be provided by the record studio. Katie wrapped up her contract signing, content with all the agreements and signed at the bottom. The guys cheered and hugged her and she couldn't help but scream in excitement. Gustavo and griffin let them have their moment before giving them all orders for a bright and early start tomorrow and the rest of the day off today.

Katie really wasn't used to getting up early at all, she usually arrived at ACS between 9-12 depending on what she had to do. Most of the time she didn't arrive until at least 10, so getting up at 6 was hard. She made sure she was up and ready well before hand and arrived at Roque Records so early she had to use her key pass to get into the building. The office was dark so she just sat and waited in the lobby, turning on just the lamp beside her.

It was a while before Gustavo arrived, he was running late himself. Katie had fallen asleep after waiting for about 45 minutes. She tried hard to stay awake, knowing he would be there any minute but she lost that battle as her eyes got heavy. He was surprised at Katie's early and seemingly eager arrival, and although he would tear into the guys about being lazy if they fell asleep, he just sighed calmly and let her sleep for a bit. He wasn't quite ready to start his day yet anyway, so what was the harm?

Something about Katie made Gustavo more easy going. He was never the 'monster' or 'drill sergeant' the guys pegged him out to be, at least not to her. He was always nice, patient and at least trying to understand her. Maybe it was because she was so willing to learn and follow directions or it could have been her gentle smile and calming aura. Either way, no one had the guts to be mean to her, she didn't deserve it, ever, not like anyone could be mean to her. She was always willing to help out, do what she was supposed to and was so down to earth that even when she agreed to being a star, she still treated the guys like gods.

Katie woke up about 2 hours later; Gustavo had been there for about an hour and was talking with Kelly. She was a bit dazed at her knew surroundings but quickly remembered where she was and got up. She got tangled for a second in a blanket that she didn't remember using. She heard Gustavo and Kelly talking in Gustavo's office but she couldn't hear what they were saying. She was worried that it was about her and her display of falling asleep when she should have been ready to work. Her commotion was a little louder then she thought because Kelly came out and greeted her.

"Good Morning Katie, ready to start your day?" she said with a smile.

"I am so sorry! I didn't mean to fall asleep! I woke up at 6 and I'm not used to that I got here as soon as I could and I was waiting for Mr. Roque and I dozed off, please forgive me!" she apologized.

"It's ok, calm down. We aren't mad, not at all, I convinced Gustavo to let you sleep a bit more since you looked so exhausted."

"And you can call me Gustavo." Gustavo said coming out of his office. "Let's get started on your lessons."

"Yes sir, Mr. Roq- I mean, Gustavo!" she said following him quickly.

She did everything he asked and more, always asking for feedback but not always taking a back seat in the process. Gustavo usually liked to run the show but he was more willing to let her take the wheel every now and then due to her success already as well as having had good results with Big Time Rush.  
For months it was the same process until it was time for her debut. She was nervous, she had never done a live performance. Even when she did live Q and A's, she usually skimmed over requests to sing or dance to fan favorites. She wasn't sure she was ready for this but she was willing to give it a go. She wanted to prove herself and make a name for herself. She didn't want to be pegged as useless anymore or take all the other bullying she had dealt with so far in life, it was time for her to stand up to everyone who tried to bring her down and prove them wrong. She was alone in this endeavor though, her parents were at home, and she hadn't talked to them in days, weeks even although her phone was riddled with missed calls from them. She just didn't have time to answer the calls or talk to anyone during all her rehearsals.

The guys weren't even here and that's what really hurt. She asked Gustavo why and expressed her concern but he told her that it was his choice.  
"Its best if you start off cold turkey. If you have people you know and love watching you, you're not going to learn to do this on your own. They arent always going to be able to be at every show so this is for the best. Just take a deep breath, get out there and work your magic. Pretend that it's just a camera." He lectured, trying to sound motivating but really sounding a tad heartless.

Katie's heart sank and as much as she wanted to do this, she just felt like something was holding her back. She was stuck between 2 emotions and eventually had a panic attack 10 minutes before show time. The show was post poned temporarily as Katie quieted down and paramedics were called in to see if she would be ok. They gave her a calming agent to just relax her and in an hour she'd be back to her old self. If fans were willing to wait, Katie was willing to perform.

After only 30 minutes she was starting to feel less spacey but she took the full hour, even an extra 10 minutes before she gained her composure and ran onto the stage ready to party and have a good time. She was met with screams and she took a quick glimpse out to the crowd, complimenting a person holding a poster that caught her eye: Katie's name in big green glitter letters, her favorite color. She started off with some innocent banter to get the crowd going as she tried to get comfortable on stage.

"This is so much different then singing and dancing in front of a camera. I may have several people watching me but they see me after all the effects and editing and plus I don't have to see their reaction. I am so nervous tonight so bear with me and my nervousness as well as any stupid jokes I say." She said calmly, sitting on one of the speaker stacks sipping some water. She continued as the band warmed up a bit and then she gave the signal to begin and she took a deep breath during the first chords. The time was now, there was no turning back.

She belt out all the lyrics on time and in harmony as she started off a little shaky in her gut and even her legs felt numb but getting into it, she focused on the melody and lyrics as she moved across the stage and it all went away. The song ended and she sighed, glad that it was over. She began to shake again but the deafening round of applause caught her off guard and she couldn't help but shed a tear as her life began it's new chapter in a better direction.


	8. Chapter 8

_***AN* Last chapter. I know this story got a little sidetracked but like I said in the beginning, this was going to be an alternate plot line to my last story. There is one more that is coming and it was my original idea. I actually thought about using it in conjunction with one of theses other 2 stories. The ending might feel rushed and it kinda was but it also seemed to flow nicely as I wrote it. The last few lines might be redundant or boring but I was just having trouble getting what I was thinking exactly out so I hope you guys can figure it out, if you dont that's ok too, just dont ask me to explain!" More stories to come but as always, I need a little bit of a hiatus, shouldnt be too long. I want to get out as many stories as possible with school starting in just a few weeks. I have still so much to do at home as far as chores i have been putting off, preparations for school and much more! Stay tuned for more but until then enjoy this story and I'll see you soon!***_

Since her debut concert, Katie's popularity had sky rocketed but as with any star there was hate and it just seemed to pour in. It hurt when she read the cruel words and couldn't understand why people would feel the need to drag someone else down. Jealousy, hate or whatever the case, there was no excuse to do this. Katie had wanted to get away from the bullying and the hate and while she knew that there would be people that wouldn't like her, she had hoped she wouldn't have to see it. She took it in stride as she always did and just ignored the hate and after several months, the familiar names and identities of the haters, faded away, giving up on their mission.

There was still a lot of hard work ahead of Katie but she had deserved a nice break for the time being while her career was sorted out by her many agents. She hung out with the guys as often as she could and although they were big stars too, they had more free time while they were filming the new season, recording a new album and the occasional interview. She hated leaving the guys behind and felt bad like she was ditching them. They said that they understood her new schedule but she just felt like she was betraying them, after all they did for her. To try to make things right she tried to schedule her tour around some of the known dates that the guys would be hitting in their next tour starting in the fall. Katie would be starting mid summer but she was determined to spend some time with them.

She spent the next few months in interview after interview and several photo shoots and television and radio appearances which were still all knew to her. She was so restricted on what to say and talk about because she was so knew and she didn't like it but did it anyway, hoping she could be herself in time. She felt like she was kind of lying or not being straight forward. Her answers were short and left out important information and although she made it clear she was displeased with it, her demands went unnoticed for the time being as everyone assured her that in time she could become more open. She took the words to heart and settled down to let everything run its course.

Finally after months of work and dedication she received a short break of a about 2-3 weeks before her tour would start. She flew home and spent a week at home where her parents were so thrilled to see her and she was thrilled to be there. Although there were moments, when things got stressful it was nice to know that there was someplace she could go to unwind, someplace where she was welcomed with open arms. She checked in a few times at ACS to make sure things were running smoothly and to teach a few classes that students needed but spent most of her time at home. It wasn't long before she had to head back to California, kicking off her first tour.

Her parents kept track of everything she was doing in the teen magazines she was featured in. With more time to her self, she also got to chat with them more often, she even bought them a computer so they could Skype often, saving on long distance calling and what not. They got back stage and VIP passes as did some of her friends, the ones she had left anyway, whenever anyone was able to attend her shows. She wouldn't be on the east coast for about a month and a half and by then, she'd be Joining the guys at some shows. They were playing the same night but they would watch each others and hang out when they could.

By thanksgiving, the tour slowed down to a point where there were several days between shows due to the upcoming holidays. Both artists had recorded Christmas albums and had done a Christmas special earlier in the year that would premier next month. Katie's interviews had slowed down just a little bit although local media hounded her constantly when she was in town. She wasn't able to go home for the holidays, but the guys could, their tour went on a hiatus from the 2nd week in December to the 2nd week in January. Katie had Christmas week off of course but she wasn't rich, far from it actually and couldn't afford it. She may have had a huge following and sales of her merchandise and records were nearly through the roof but the first year or 2 was spent repaying the company for all the time effort and resources they put into the artist. It was the same with all new celebrities of any genre or profession.

Gustavo at least paid for her to stay in a 4 star hotel and have some decent meals for the week she was off though. She was in a big city and had a great view of the city's Christmas tree. She woke up Christmas morning feeling worse for wear as the fact hit that she wasn't having a Christmas this year. She was alone, far from home and depressed. She spent the morning in the quiet confines of her room, TV depressed her more because of all the family oriented Christmas specials and naturally no one was online. He ordered room service to try and forget about the day but the delivery man had a huge smile on his face as he wore an elf hat, wishing her a happy holiday. She smiled back and thanked him, complimenting him on his outfit and sent him on his way.

She just finished her breakfast when she received an alert on skype, she was getting a call from home and it made her day. She was in an earlier time zone than her parents so it was about 2 hours later there. They spent several hours talking to each other, just to keep their minds off the distance between them. Her mom showed her the Christmas tree, nearly bare of ornaments, it was Katie's job to put them on and without her there, the ornaments stayed in the box. Gifts lined the tree like an ocean and were ready and waiting to be opened once she got back. It would be around march by the time she actually got home but it'd be good enough.

She took a break for a second to order some lunch for herself, it would take several minutes to arrive so she thought she would order now while talking with her mom. Her dad, who had to work about an hour for the day, came home for lunch, and spent nearly his whole hour talking with her until she forced him to eat his lunch and then he had to leave for work. Her dad's boss used to be a patient and understanding man but now turned himself around and barked orders at all his employees as he tried to rule with an iron fist. He'd be back in a few minutes to an hour.

Room service arrived after 20 minutes, a bit faster then the past few days but she didn't question it. She left to answer the door and her mom waited but all her mom could hear was her daughter screaming; but it wasn't in fear, it was in joy. Behind the door stood Carlos and James, smiles on their faces and bearing gifts with her name on them.

"Merry Christmas, Katie!" Carlos yelled

"You didn't think, we'd leave you in a strange city all by your self did you?" James said pulling her into a hug.

" I thought you all went on vacation or back home?" she asked.

"We did. I spent 2 weeks in the Caribbean. Logan went to Hawaii, Kendall stayed home with his mom." Carlos explained.

"And I really splurged, hitting up all the best surf spots." James said with a smile. "But we felt bad that you couldn't go home and were going to be alone so we thought we'd cut our vacay short and stop in to spend the day together."

"I havent heard from either Logan or Kendall, we all kinda just went our separate ways for the time being so I have no idea if they are stopping by later. Either way, I'm sure we can find a restaurant open somewhere and get some lunch." Carlos stated

"I just ordered room service, that's who I thought was at the door. Make another order and we can all eat in and go out for dinner later."

"Alright!" James said. The two of them came in and grabbed the menu off her bed and began flipping through it when they heard noise coming from her computer. "Hey! Mrs. P!"

"Hello James, Carlos. Merry Christmas to you both!" she replied

"Same to you, Mama P." Carlos said with a smile.

"How are you boys doing?" she asked

"We're doing great, we had some time off so we came by to spend the day with your daughter so she wont be alone." James replied.

"Don't worry, we'll take good care of her!" Carlos assured

"You boys are great, thank you so much. I'll let you all get to it then. Good bye!" she said

"Bye mom!" Katie said, creeping into the shot with a smile and waving.

"Bye!" the guys said together as they waved. Room service arrived for Katie and Carlos assisted while James ordered more food.

After they ate, they hit the town and while most businesses were closed, they found a few small places open. The weather was warmer in the southern mid-west so they spent a few hours outside just running around like kids with Bullet and Pepper. When dinner rolled around, the James and Carlos treated her to a big fancy dinner at a nearby 5 star restaurant; she could order anything she wanted. The trio spent almost 3 hours at the restaurant before heading back to the hotel where they played a few video games and called it a night. James and Carlos spent the night and hung out with Katie again the next day.  
After spending a 2nd night, James had a plane to catch for a meet and greet a few states over. Carlos was just going to fly back home to visit family for the remainder of his vacation but his flight wasn't for another few hours. He had lunch with Katie and then packed his things, wishing her well and that he would see her soon. Katie spent the rest of her 'vacation' alone in her hotel room, mostly just passing the time playing video games.

Once back on the road, she soon caught up with Kendall and Logan as well as James and Carlos. Kendall had a lot to do over break and he felt bad that she spent time alone but felt better knowing James and carlos had stopped by. He didn't forget about her though, and as much as he wished she could have joined him and his family for the holidays, he knew just letting her know he cared was enough.

"Katie, I got you a little something, just to let you know I was thinking about you and to apologize for not being able to spend some time with you." he said pulling out a small box from his pocket. She opened the box to find a simple necklace with a paw print charm, and 2 emerald stones. On the back of the charm, her name was engraved.

"Kendall…..!" she gasped

"I know you arent one for jewelry but I couldn't think of anything else to get you. I figured I'd just combine 2 of your favorite things: animals and green!" he smiled.

"It's beautiful." she said.

She looked up to him and threw her arms around his neck in a big hug. He hugged her back as soon as he was balanced. She didn't put it on right away, she wasn't dressed for jewelry but might wear it during a concert, depending on where she was. She just didn't want it to get lost, stolen or destroyed and was hesitant to wear it for those reasons but at the same time didn't want to hurt Kendall's feelings. It really was a beautiful necklace and it meant a lot to her that he would even buy her something that he put at least some thought into.

The tour finally came to a close and as promised per her contract, Katie was flown home. She spent about a month home, keeping busy the entire time. She had been to her home state during the tour and all her friends and family had been invited, most of which did show up. She still was glad to be home, even though she was still on a very tight leash at home. She was living on her own, she was 21 and a star but that didn't stop her parents from controlling almost every aspect of her life thus far. They often ranted on about information she was giving out in interviews as being false, not full truths or too personal. She explained that she didn't have a choice in that aspect yet, just like her money making which was the hot issue with her father. If she didn't start making more money soon, she was done with this fantasy career and going back to school. She tried to explain the workings but he didn't want to hear it.

She spent a good chunk of time at ACS as well, things were running smoothly as usual and although there was a stack of paperwork and some chores waiting for her, there weren't any major hiccups in the grand scheme of things. One day she was working hard on some filing and other official documents when she was buzzed as having a visitor, she accepted the visitor but remained hard at work, even when there was a knock at her door several minutes later.

"Come in!" she called out still not looking up. A familiar voice greeted her. "Hey Carlos, what's up?" she said with a smile finally putting her pen down.

"Hey, I was just stopping in to say hi and see how you were doing, plus I had something important to ask." he said.

"Why come all the way here? You could have called me you know." she replied

"I know. I was already on this side of the country and just took a detour. Besides this is just something that has to be done in person." he began trailing off a bit. He seemed to be struggling with his words a bit, Katie stared at him for a second, confused and curious at what he wanted to talk about but upon seeing him trying to keep it together made her get up from her seat and worry.

"What's wrong is everything ok!?"she asked concerned

"Yes and no. I mean I'm fine its just I cant take care of Bullet anymore. Its not for financial reasons or anything like that. Nothing is wrong with his health and his training is still the way you left it, I just think its unfair to him to be in on a bus all the time. He's too big a dog and he's not used to it, he's not like my last dog, Siri, she was used to being in a cage even though she was high energy. But even then, I had time to exercise her. With our tours getting busier and more frequent, same with our show, I just don't have the time to care for him anymore, it'd be easier with a smaller dog, like Pepper." he explained

"I understand. He's still so young so he's full of energy, its different when a dog is older or trained as a puppy in this lifestyle." she said.

"Right, so I wanted to ask you if you would take Bullet. At least then I'd know he's in good hands, and whenever I might be in the neighborhood I can stop in and see him!" He said hopeful

"I think that's fair. He'd fit in pretty well I think. It'll take some time for him to adjust and have additional training but he'd work himself in." she smiled, reassuring a breaking Carlos. His face lightened up at her response and he hugged her hard. "Alright, let's get the donation paperwork started. My contract, states that you have to give up all rights. You will have to sign that one and for the time being you wont be able to visit for a while. I'm in the process of having new contracts made up for different things so by the next time you come back this way, you should be clear to see him, play with him and whatever."

"Ok." he agreed. He read over a few of the pages quickly before filling out a form about Bullet. In a few quick swipes of his pen, he signed Bullet away. Katie called in her buddy and co-worker Liam to retrieve Bullet, who Carlos had in the back of his rental car. Carlos watched from the window as Liam loaded Bullet into a transfer crate and wheeled him down the hall to the assessment kennel, tears rolling down his cheek. Katie gave him a reassuring hug as she tried to console her friend. Carlos signed the last paper and it was all over and final. Bullet was gone, no longer his and although he wondered if this was the right choice, he stuck by it knowing that it all happened the way it should.

It was by luck that Katie and Carlos met, if it wasn't for Bullet acting up, Carlos would never have met such a great friend and Bullet would have been put down. Katie owed her new found friends and career, both a change in her life she so desperately needed, to Bullet. The luck of the draw had changed everyone's lives for the better, all thanks to a whacky yet lovable canine.


End file.
